Author/Illustrator team visits Hilltop School

Sparta - Peter Maloney and Felicia Zakauskas, husband-and-wife authors/illustrators recently shared their books and illustrations with students in the preschool through fourth grade at Hilltop Country Day School in Sparta. Maloney and Zakauskas have entertained thousands of children at schools and have addressed teachers, librarians and educators at numerous conferences and workshops. They have written and illustrated five picture books and the popular Beginning Reader series, Just Schoolin’ Around. Two of their works, Redbird at Rockefeller Center and The Magic Hockey Stick, have been adapted and performed as musicals by grade schools and high schools in northern N.J. Their beginning chapter book, Where’s That Bird? was selected as a Governor’s Book Club selection in 2004. The day included assemblies and sessions where the children were able to meet the authors and pick up their personalized copies of books they had pre-ordered in anticipation of the visit. The personalization was an individualized drawing signed by Maloney and Zakauskas. The students thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. Asked to reflect during library class about meeting the authors/illustrators, one third grade student wrote, “They were the first authors that I ever met. It was fun learning about what authors do. I had a great time seeing real authors.” This visit was arranged and coordinated by Nan Katzenbach, school librarian, as part of the celebration of Children’s Book Week. Funding for this and other author visits that will take place during the school year were raised by the Hilltop community through a wrapping paper sale held in September.